The Government is to consult on whether to increase packaging targets for the period 2013 to 2017.
It was widely criticised for rolling over 2010 targets for 2011 and 2012 as the recycling industry wanted the incentive the targets brought to enable it to extract more material for recycling.
The Waste Review says: “We intend to consult on increased packaging targets on packaging producers from 2013 to 2017. The scale of the increases we consult on will depend on our Impact Assessment, which will consider issues such as affordability for business and Government. We will also consult on establishing a sub-target for recycling of glass into re-melt applications. The Government will make a final decision in the 2012 Budget.”
It notes that packaging recycling rates have doubled since 1997 to 62 per cent in 2009, but the UK is only recycling 24 per cent of its plastic packaging and 41 per cent of its aluminium packaging. The Waste Review therefore states that these materials will be priorities for encouraging more recycling.
However, the Government does not plan to make too many changes to the producer responsibility system until the EU Packaging Directive is revised. This is expected to happen from 2014.
It also said that WRAP will provide technical support to improve the sorting of plastics, help increase plastic recycling rates by householders and businesses as well as look to develop sorting and reprocessing of non-bottle plastic through the continuation of the Mixed Plastics Loan Fund for a further three years.
